Shrek description of all parts. How Shrek was created

»
"Shrek frost, green nose"
(short)
"Shrek Forever After"
"Shrek: Scary Stories"
(short)
"Puss in Boots (cartoon, 2011)"
"Puss in Boots: Three Little Devils"
(short)

It is the first animated feature film in history to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Also awarded BAFTA, Annie Awards (in 8 categories) and other film awards.

The film brings together and features characters from well-known and beloved fairy tales in European culture, the traditional storylines of which are skillfully and comically woven into a completely different story. The comic effect is created:

• an unexpected combination of completely different stories into one;
• the fact that fairy-tale characters themselves have read fairy tales and know what is supposed to be in them and what is not, but every second they violate the audience’s expectations;
• the fact that the heroes live in the conditional Middle Ages, but their speech combines with a high poetic style (for example, traditional fairy tale beginnings) both modern colloquial speech with stylistically reduced vocabulary, colloquial expressions and random references to modern technology, and a parodic discussion of the life of celebrities and the film industry .

Plot

The main plot of the film is also a composition of inversions of the plots of popular fairy tales: for example, the Shrek and Fiona motif is an exact inversion of the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast (in which the Beast ends up being a prince).

Fairy tale references

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - the seven dwarfs were led, bound in chains; The magic mirror that offered princesses to Lord Farquaad was previously owned by the Evil Queen; Fiona's morning walk in the forest.
• Three bears - three bears are sitting in cages.
• Jack and the Beanstalk - An old lady tried to sell a talking donkey.
• Three Little Pigs - the farmer was selling Three Little Pigs.
• Peter Pan ; Dumbo - Peter Pan stood in line; scene with a flying donkey.
• Gingerbread Man ; Alice in Wonderland - Lord Farquaad tried to get information about the Hatter from the gingerbread man. This can be seen in the Russian dubbing of the film.
• Cinderella - the magic mirror offered to marry Cinderella.
• The Pied Piper of Hamelin - the flute player finds himself in Shrek's swamp and plays the flute.
• The Adventures of Pinocchio - Geppetto sells Pinocchio.
• Sleeping Beauty - Three fairy godmothers are in Shrek's swamp.
• Little Red Riding Hood - a gray wolf in a robe and cap took Shrek's bed.
• Three blind mice - Shrek met three blind mice on his table.
• Robin Hood - Robin Hood and his robbers meet the heroes in the forest.
• Beauty and the Beast - Fiona's final transformation scene

Popular culture references

The roles were voiced

Originally, actor Chris Farley was planned to play the role of Shrek. He was able to voice Shrek about 80%, but could not star in the cartoon - he died in December

"Once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess. Alas, she became a victim of an evil spell, which could only be broken by the first kiss of love. She became a prisoner of a castle guarded by a terrible fire-breathing dragon. Many brave knights tried to free her from prison, but death awaited everyone. And so under guarding the dragon, she whiled away her days in the highest tower of the castle, waiting for the kiss of her betrothed..." - hehe-he-he-he, so I believed it! What nonsense!" - with these words ten years ago this good-natured green giant burst into our lives from the movie screens. And since then he has been walking with us through life, lifting the spirits of us and our children. So where did he come from?

Our hero's literary father is the American children's writer and artist William Steig (1907-2003). Shrek first appeared to readers in 1990. Initially, it was a short story of 32 pages, illustrated by the author himself. The story told about the adventures of a green ogre, large and terrible in appearance, but with a kind soul - the giant cannot harm people even when they deserve it. His name is taken from the German language, where the word Schreck means fear and horror. Based on this story, such popular cartoons as “Shrek”, “Shrek 2”, “Shrek the Third”, “Shrek Forever After” were filmed. Of course, the content of the film versions differs from the literary original, in which, for example, Fiona turned from a human into an ogre, but in the story she was originally an ogre.

Now the question follows: who are ogres and how do they differ from, say, trolls?

These fabulous creatures came to us from Celtic mythology. Ancient people imagined them as huge (up to 20 meters tall) cannibalistic giants. Ogres lived in forests (unlike trolls who lived in the mountains) and had incredible strength. These creatures used clubs as weapons and were completely devoid of intelligence. According to other sources, it was a “smaller” giant, from 2.5 to 4 m, lived in the forests of Europe and was extremely unloved by the surrounding population for stealing children. And oddly enough, an ordinary human woman with magical abilities (in later variations, read - a witch) could live with him as his wife. The extermination of ogres was one of the tasks of the knights errant. This is such an unsightly portrait.

Unlike his mythological counterparts, our character is clearly ambiguous, with a pronounced character. On the one hand, he is unsociable and rude, with terrible manners, but on the other hand, he is a true, loyal friend who always comes to the rescue and does not remember past grievances. From episode to episode, Shrek acquires more and more positive traits, each time he learns something new: to love, to accept others as they are, with their strengths and weaknesses, to appreciate that he has a family. Just look at his phrase at the end of the third episode after the birth of the children: don’t get up, I’ll do it myself (you must admit, we don’t hear this very often from our male fathers). And even though he sometimes allows himself to break down, be rude and leave, he always returns exactly at the moment when you need him most.

In my opinion, this is a very interesting character, showing that it is not always worth judging someone by appearance and manners, what is important are actions and spiritual qualities that show the true state of affairs.

The film about the green giant, which was dubbed “postmodern entertainment for adults,” became a cult favorite and attracted millions of fans around the world. “Shrek” is the first full-length animated film to win an Oscar, as well as a number of other cinematic awards.

The first part of the film was released in 2001, but adults and children still watch this extravagant cartoon, which carries the well-known message - good always triumphs over evil. The main character became so popular that in 2010 he received his own star on the Walk of Fame.

History of creation

In Celtic mythology, ogres are evil, man-eating giants who prefer to dine on small children. Unlike trolls, who occupied a niche in the Scandinavian countries, ogres do not live in the mountains, but in remote swamps. The main goal of this huge creature is to hunt boys and girls. Sometimes the cannibal sneaks up on them at night when they are having a sweet dream. And the villain, armed with a club, loves to make trophies and talismans from bones.

Such a mythological hero evokes fear and horror even in an adult. However, American illustrator and book author William Steig wrote a children's story about a frightening but very kind Shrek, who is incapable of causing harm to people, even when they deserve it. The genius of literature came up with such a name for the main character for a reason, because in German and Yiddish Schreck (Shrek) means “fear” or “horror”.

According to rumors, Steig drew a giant based on the image of the French wrestler Maurice Tillet, who performed in the rings at the beginning of the 20th century. The champion title holder had an unusual appearance due to a rare disease called acromegaly. It is caused by a benign tumor on the pituitary gland, causing expansion and thickening of the bones, especially in the facial part. Therefore, the athlete, with a height of 170 cm, weighed 122 kg. Maurice was often compared to a troll or an ogre, but he had a vulnerable and kind character.

The book, released in 1990, later attracted the attention of the DreamWorks Animation studio, and it delighted television viewers with short films and four cartoons about the green monster: “Shrek” (2001), “Shrek 2” (2004), “Shrek 3” (2007). ) and Shrek Forever After (2010).

The first part of the cartoon, which had a budget of $60 million, received positive reviews from critics. The directors tried to put together a professional cast. The roles were voiced by John Lithgow, Chris Miller and other stars of the cinematic firmament.

Chris Farley was originally supposed to play the monster. The artist voiced Shrek 80%, but was unable to complete the work: unfortunately, Chris died in the winter of 1997. Then Mike Myers was invited to play the role of the swamp dweller.

The actor voiced the main character, but ultimately stated that he didn’t like Shrek’s voice at all, so he suggested redoing the main character’s manner of speaking to take into account the Scottish accent. The creators of the project liked this idea, so the studio spent another $4-5 million on redoing the dubbing and animation.

As for the artistic features of the film, the cartoon is based on a post-modern play on classic characters. Viewers not only see the adventures of Shrek, who undertakes to rescue the princess from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon, but also watch other heroes of literary fairy tales and their cinematic incarnations.

Moreover, familiar images are shown in an unusual interpretation, in the style of nonconformism. For example, at the beginning of the first part he stands in line to hand over the fairy to Lord Farquaad for a reward, which emphasizes the law-abiding nature of this character.

But readers familiar with Peter know that this hero wants to never grow up and refuses to follow “adult rules.” In addition, viewers see how Gepetto sells, a gray wolf in a suit took the ogre’s bed, and meets the heroes in the forest like a real one.

Biography and plot

The green giant Shrek lives alone in a swamp, and his day is not distinguished by any adventures: the monster’s morning begins with taking a mud bath, brushing his teeth and swimming in the water, and dinner begins with lighting a fireplace and cooking food. But, contrary to legends, it does not eat people, but feeds on slugs and other delicacies.

Despite the terrifying “No Trespassing” sign, residents of the outskirts of the city-state of Duloc, armed with torches and pitchforks, periodically raid Shrek’s home. However, the giant manages to fight back, because the monster can make anyone run, his heels sparkling, which undoubtedly pleases his pride.

Perhaps the giant’s life would be calm and measured, but the evil short man and part-time ruler of Duloc, Lord Farquaad, banishes all fairy-tale creatures to the swamp, which disrupts the lonely existence of the protagonist.

The green ogre goes to the lord to clarify the circumstances. Since the ogre has superhuman strength and easily deals with soldiers, Farquaad sets a condition for the main character: if he saves Princess Fiona from imprisonment in the castle, all the magical heroes will be deported from the seedy town where Shrek lives. Meanwhile, the ruler of Duloc dreams of becoming the rightful king, so he wants to propose marriage to Fiona. But the short man does not know that the beauty has been cursed.

A giant, accompanied by an annoying talking Donkey, keeps his promise and overcomes dangers and obstacles to rescue a long-haired girl from the clutches of a huge fire-breathing monster. Fiona thinks that Prince Charming saved her because the savior was wearing a helmet, but she realizes that she is mistaken.

Since the princess does not want to go to Farquaad, the giant has to drag her by force. Over time, Shrek falls in love with Fiona, and only at the moment of the latter’s wedding with the ruler of Duloc does he learn a secret: it turns out that due to witchcraft, the girl turns into an ogre at night. The giant hears about the damage imposed on the princess and understands that she did not call him a monster, but herself (before that, with the onset of sunset, the beauty was hiding from Shrek and Donkey).

Thus, upon learning that Fiona loves him, Shrek flies into the castle and ruins the wedding. A lover's kiss can save a lady from a magical spell, but when a giant kisses a girl, she remains a giant forever. And Farquaad is eaten by a dragon who fell in love with Donkey. Next, Shrek and Fiona get married surrounded by fairy-tale characters: a Christmas cookie, seven dwarves, three bears and other characters were invited to the celebration.

The adventures of the “multi-layered giant” do not end there: the lovers are on their honeymoon, and he receives an invitation to visit from his mother-in-law and father-in-law - the king and queen of the Far Away Kingdom. Having reached a compromise, the couple set off, taking Donkey with them, because the dragoness was in a bad mood (it turns out that she was expecting offspring, and Donkey’s children are shown at the end of the second part).

The king did not receive the giant well, and Shrek again has to save Fiona. But already at the hands of Prince Charming (that is, Charming) and his mother Fairy Godmother, a large owner of a potion factory. The main character reveals the secret of the conspiracy of Fiona's father, who in the past was a frog, and the monster also manages to appear in the guise of a man.

Shrek still manages to reconcile with his father-in-law. When he dies, the giant becomes heir to the throne of the Far, Far Country. The powerless hero does not want to be the owner of the crown, besides, he became a father, and, as they say, the ogre has his mouth full of worries. Shrek and his friends go in search of another candidate for the throne and find. While the heroes persuade Arthur to try on the crown, the greedy Charming stages a military coup, so the ogre again has to face trials.

In the fourth installment of the franchise, Shrek Forever After (2010), the giant complains about life. The fact is that the monster becomes a local star: a whole line forms at the green ogre’s home in order to get an autograph. The inhabitant of the swamp does not like this situation, because he wants to return to a quiet and measured life. When the main character argues with Fiona, their conversation is overheard by the failed magician Rumplestiltskin, who then offers the monster a lucrative contract.

By checking the right box, Shrek finds himself in an alternate reality, where he relaxes and scares people to his heart's content. But the giant is not recognized by his friends and his beloved wife Fiona, and he is also captured by Rumplestiltskin: the dwarf usurped power by deceit. It is noteworthy that Shrek will return his wife when he kisses her. The ogre has to make the princess fall in love with him again, and he also comes up with a plan to overthrow the cunning wizard.

• The Russian music producer is often compared to Shrek. However, the showman is not offended by such associations: Joseph Igorevich even tried on the image of this hero on the show “Exactly the Same.” Entering the stage, the artist supported the person portraying Eddie Murphy.
: The Spy Who Seduced Me,” where the main character was played by .

Quotes

“- Remove the dead girl from the table! There's no place for a dead girl here!
- Where should we put it? The bed is already occupied.”

“-Wait. Where are we going? The exit is there!
“I need to save another animal.”

“They judge me before they know me. That's why I'm better off alone."

“Ugh, what a monster!
- Not very polite! Normal donkey."

“Don’t make yourself at home, you are officially not welcome here. It is a fact".

In 2001, the cartoon “Shrek” was released on world screens, which won the hearts of millions of viewers of different ages. Its characters aroused particular sympathy among the audience: Shrek, Princess Fiona and their friends are described with a fair amount of humor and satire. So, who are they - the heroes of the famous cartoon?

Ogre Shrek

The series of cartoons about the ogre Shrek mainly involves unoriginal characters. Shrek and his friends came to us from the plots of well-known fairy tales, their images were simply slightly adjusted and presented in a postmodern light.

The main character, named Shrek, is a typical cannibal giant from Western folklore. This image was first used under that name by writer William Steig in his children's book "Shrek!" Based on this work, an entire animated franchise was later filmed.

The hero of the cartoon of the same name has green skin and elongated tube-shaped ears. Shrek is tall and his belly sticks out a little. The ogre wears a beige canvas shirt, vest, and dark brown pants.

Shrek is unsociable and prefers to live exclusively in swamps. He is not very kind to guests and is most often sullen. The only ones who agree to tolerate such behavior are the sociable Donkey and Princess Fiona, who sincerely loves the good-natured giant.

Cartoon character "Shrek" Princess Fiona

At the beginning of the first part of the franchise, Fiona appears before us as a beautiful princess in human form. She lives in an abandoned castle and waits for her prince charming to save her. But instead of the prince comes the rude and ugly Shrek. A certain Lord Farquaad sent him for the princess, promising in return to free the ogre’s house from fairy-tale creatures. Fiona has no choice but to obey and follow the green liberator to the castle of her future groom Farquaad. This is how the main cartoon characters meet.

Shrek is not very friendly with the princess. And yet, during their journey, they managed to develop feelings for each other. Then it turns out that Fiona is under a curse: at night she becomes as green and ugly as Shrek. After much thought, Fiona gives up her beauty, kisses the unattractive but loyal and good-natured Shrek, and then turns forever into an ogre.

In subsequent cartoons, Fiona and Shrek got married and had three children.

Donkey

The cartoon is filled with interesting characters, but there are simply unforgettable characters. Shrek goes to rescue Fiona from the tower together with the annoying Donkey. The donkey talks a lot and may seem stupid, but in reality he is just a sociable and good-natured animal.

With his habit of saying out loud everything he thinks, Donkey annoys the ogre. But it is this hero who manages to convince Shrek that for the sake of his love he must take a risk, go to the wedding ceremony of Fiona and Lord Farquaad and confess his feelings to the princess.

Subsequently, Donkey will become a friend of the family and will compete for the title of best friend with Puss in Boots. Another juicy fact: Donkey will begin an affair with the Dragon, who was guarding Fiona in the castle, the characters will get married and have hybrid children.

Puss in Boots

Not only the ogre Shrek is considered a colorful hero in the animated series. The characters whose names never left the lips of delighted children are Puss in Boots, Robin Hood, and the Fairy Godmother.

Puss in Boots appears in the second part of the franchise and becomes a full member of the ensemble of the main characters of the cartoon. He wears a tiny sharp saber on his belt, and also often uses a distracting maneuver in battle: he makes big sad eyes, but as soon as the enemy takes pity on him, he hits him in the most vulnerable place.

According to the story, Puss in Boots worked as an assassin before he met the ogre. Fiona's father hired the Cat to eliminate the inconvenient groom. But during an attack on the ogre, the Cat choked on his fur, and Shrek did not take advantage of the enemy’s weakness and saved his life. After that, the hot Spanish Cat said that Shrek became his friend forever.

The donkey did not like this news: he was jealous of Shrek for the Cat, so for a long time he tried to survive the red purr from their friendly company.

Fairy Godmother

Shrek found a new life in this project. So the good Fairy Godmother from the fairy tale about Cinderella unexpectedly turned into the main antagonist in the second part of the franchise.

In Shrek, the Fairy appears to the viewer as a prudent businesswoman. She keeps incriminating evidence on the top officials of the fairy-tale state, including the king. By force, she forces Fiona's father to intervene in his daughter's family relationships and make sure that she recognizes Prince Charming (the Fairy Godmother's son) as her husband. However, the machinations of this heroine go to waste: Shrek still found a way to avoid death and arrived at the ball to free Fiona from the evil spell with a kiss. Out of anger, the Fairy Godmother burst and turned into soap bubbles.

Beautiful Prince

Over the course of two cartoons, Shrek, Donkey and Puss in Boots confront the treacherous Prince Charming.

Prince Charming in ordinary fairy tales is a positive hero. But in Shrek, this character is the son of the hypocritical Fairy Godmother, and by nature he is a narcissistic, self-confident scoundrel.

In the second part of the franchise, Prince Charming tries to convince Fiona that he is her husband Shrek. Allegedly, Shrek drank a potion and turned into a human specifically for her. But this lie is exposed at the end of the animated film. Prince Charming returns to the screens in the third issue: this time he is trying to take the throne from Fiona and Shrek. The villain manages to bring his insidious plan to life: Fiona and other fairy-tale heroines go underground, while Shrek tries to convince Prince Arthur that the young man is worthy to rule the Far Away Kingdom.

At the end of the third film, Charming is defeated again, and King Arthur ascends to the throne.

Dragoness

The most comical couple in the cartoon can be called the Dragon and the Donkey. They met when Donkey came to rescue Fiona and Shrek. Being incredibly charming, he immediately won the heart of a large and fiery lady. It was the Dragoness who carried Shrek and Donkey on her back to the church so that they could upset the marriage of Fiona and Lord Farquaad.

Then, in each film, the Dragoness helped the main characters defend their interests. In one of the episodes, Donkey and Dragoness get married and have “dragon faces”.

Characters from "Shrek": list of minor characters

Which other famous fairy-tale characters can be seen in a cartoon about a cannibal giant?

1. Merlin. The famous magician and wizard from British folklore appears in the third part of the franchise.

2. King Arthur. Although the Knight of Camelot is a real historical character, in the cartoon the biography of the famous ruler was interpreted a little differently.

3. Rapunzel. The long-haired princess turned out to be a traitor and in the third film of the franchise she helped Charming carry out a coup.

Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rumplestiltskin and many other fairy tale heroes also appear briefly in Shrek.